Fireball eggnog may become one of your new favorite Christmas drinks. The popular cinnamon whiskey is a fantastic base for this classic holiday cocktail. It gives eggnog a touch of warm spice, subtle sweetness, and an inviting aroma that’s sure to put everyone in a festive mood.
Traditional eggnog can be nonalcoholic, though it’s often spiked with brandy, rum, or whiskey, and a cinnamon stick is a common garnish. Switching the liquor to Fireball Whisky is a natural choice because it’s a cinnamon-infused whiskey liqueur. It mixes well with various flavors, including coffee and vanilla, but in this recipe, it teams up with the almond flavor of amaretto. The two liqueurs are simply shaken with prepared eggnog, and you can use either store-bought or homemade eggnog. Since each ingredient contains some amount of sugar, there’s no need to add a sweetener.
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While optional, the cinnamon-sugar rim makes this Fireball eggnog even more delicious. Using raw sugar and more ground cinnamon than you might for other cocktails accents the eggnog perfectly. With each sip, you'll enjoy the balance of rich eggnog, a nice (but not overpowering) alcohol kick, and a sweet, warming blend of nutty spice.
The recipe makes one cocktail; scale it up to make two or three drinks at once if your cocktail shaker can handle the volume. Since eggnog is not served over ice, it’s best to shake this cocktail extra hard to soften and dilute the thick drink and marry the flavors. Make it right before serving at any of your holiday parties, even if it’s just a few friends.
“If you love cinnamon, this drink is for you. It’s sweet and heavy on the spice, a nice way to end a wintry meal. If you’d like less sweetness, decrease the amaretto a bit; for less spice, decrease the Fireball or swap half for regular whiskey.” —Laurel Randolph
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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1/4 cup raw sugar, for optional rim
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2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, for optional rim
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3 ounces store-bought, prepared eggnog
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2 ounces cinnamon-flavored whiskey liqueur
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3/4 ounce amaretto liqueur, plus more for optional rim
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Cinnamon stick, for garnish
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Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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If desired, rim an old-fashioned glass with cinnamon sugar: In a small dish mix the raw sugar and ground cinnamon to a uniform color and pour a small amount of amaretto into another small dish. Dip the glass rim into the amaretto then roll it into the cinnamon sugar.
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In a cocktail shaker, pour the eggnog, cinnamon whiskey liqueur, and amaretto. Fill with ice.
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Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
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Strain into the prepared glass.
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Garnish with a cinnamon stick and dusting of freshly grated nutmeg.
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Tips
- When buying eggnog, you’ll find some enjoyable and others that are not. Try to avoid the cheapest eggnog and be sure to read the ingredients so you know what’s inside the carton. You’ll find organic, low-fat, even soy and almond milk eggnog.
- The cinnamon-sugar rim makes enough to rim at least four old-fashioned glasses. If you have any left over, store it in an airtight container for the next time you make this drink.
Recipe Variations
- If you have a favorite cinnamon whiskey other than Fireball, it will work great in this recipe. Most of the commercial brands are also sweetened, so there’s no need to adjust the recipe. These are often lower than 40 percent ABV (80 proof), and you can look for “liqueur” on the label.
- You can also use a homemade cinnamon-infused whiskey. It won’t be sweetened and works great with bourbon and smooth blended whiskies: Place two whole cinnamon sticks in a large jar filled with the whiskey of your choice and let it infuse for about three days. When the flavor is to your liking, remove the cinnamon.
- When using an unsweetened cinnamon whiskey, add about 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of simple syrup or maple syrup to the Fireball eggnog recipe.
How Strong Is Fireball Eggnog?
Eggnog is notorious for getting holiday revelers drunk, but this Fireball eggnog isn’t terribly strong. The standard bottle of Fireball Whisky is just 33 percent ABV (66 proof), which is lighter than the average whiskey, and amaretto is a similar strength. If you keep the eggnog’s proportions, the drink will shake up to around 12 percent ABV (24 proof), which is similar to a glass of wine. Using Fireball 42 Proof will increase the alcohol content, and you can get tipsy by drinking too much spiked eggnog of any kind.
Does Eggnog Curdle With Alcohol?
Though rare, there is the potential that eggnog will curdle when it’s mixed with alcohol. That’s typically due to too much acid interacting with the dairy. This can come from high-proof liquor or milk that’s either lower in fat or going sour. For the best eggnog, use fresh, preferably whole, milk. Keep prepared eggnog refrigerated at all times and discard it if it’s past the expiration date or has an off odor or appearance. Also, adding the liquor to the eggnog—following the chemistry rule to “add acid to water”—will help prevent curdled eggnog.
